Almost
by Etaleah
Summary: Though he never meant for it to happen, Fubuki would never forget the day he almost lost Ryo. Ryo/Fubuki three-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Set pre-GX, during Ryo and Fubuki's first year at the Academia. **

Part 1

Fubuki rubbed his hands together in gleeful anticipation. Today was the day he would get Ryo back for telling Chronos-sensei about the tack on his chair. Sure, he had instigated it by falsely telling Kouchan Ran that Ryo had feelings for her, but that was different. And now it was payback time for all those weeks in detention. He knew Ryo would be pissed, but he rarely stayed angry for longer than a day or so, and it would totally be worth it to see his face after he got out of the water. Snickering to himself, he crept closer, keeping as quiet as possible.

Ryo stood silently by the lighthouse, lost in his own thoughts and blissfully unaware of Fubuki's presence. The wind ruffled his hair and Ryo closed his eyes, still in his own little world. He didn't even notice when Fubuki stood two inches behind him, hand clapped over his mouth to muffle his impending laughter.

But he did notice the hands on his back. He didn't even have time to turn around before he was pushed hard into the calm ocean water surrounding the dock. Fubuki was bent over from laughing even before Ryo disappeared under the blue surface with a loud splash. He quickly retreated away from the dock so he would have a head start when Ryo climbed out of the water and ran after him. He turned back to the dock, still shaking with fits of laughter, and waited eagerly for Ryo to come back up and give him the angry reaction he was waiting for.

Thirty seconds passed. Then a minute. Then half a minute more, and Ryo still didn't resurface. Fubuki glanced around, thinking Ryo might have popped up farther away from the dock and he had missed it, but there was no sign of him anywhere. He felt a twinge of nervousness in his chest, then shook it off. _He's probably just trying to scare me, _Fubuki told himself. _He's staying underwater, thinking that I'll get worried, dive in after him, and then he'll come up for air and laugh about how stupid I am. Yeah, that's it. He's just playing with me, trying to get me back for pushing him in. But he can only hold his breath for so long, so he should come up any minute now. _

Another minute passed. _Anytime now. _Thirty more seconds and still no Ryo. _He sure can hold his breath a long time. _Twenty seconds….

Fubuki raced over to the dock and jumped in. His feet hit the sandy bottom with a surprising amount of force; the water was much shallower than he'd thought. He plunged his head under the water and searched desperately for Ryo, but the sun had been setting and it was hard to see. His hands groped through the water as he swam under and around the dock swiftly, heart beating out of his chest with fear. _Ryo, where are you? _He went up for a quick breath of air and glanced at the dock, hoping like hell that Ryo would be standing there laughing at him. He wasn't.

Fubuki dove back under and swam closer to where Ryo had fallen in. He moved his arms and legs frantically until one of his feet hit something that wasn't sand. He swam down to get a better look, and felt his face scrape hard against a rock. He winced, feeling blood, but kept going, and in seconds he was sure he'd found Ryo, lying motionless at the bottom of the water. He clutched his friend close and pulled him to the surface, gasping for air and scraping his arm against another rock. This time Fubuki cried out in pain; he could feel cuts opening on his skin and the salt water wasn't helping. But there was no time to worry about that now.

"Ryo?" he cried frantically. Ryo didn't answer or move at all. His lips were blue, his face was pale and he was limp in Fubuki's arms. "RYO!" He held Ryo tightly with one arm and used the other to paddle them over to the dock, cutting his legs painfully against rocks he'd somehow missed before. It was quite a challenge to haul them both onto the dock, but somehow he did it, and lay Ryo down gently, panting, eyes wide and heart pounding.

"Ryo, answer me! Ryo!" He shook his friend's shoulders. "Ryo, if this is a joke, it's not funny! Wake up!" He felt tears pricking his eyes, his mind racing. How could Ryo have drowned? It didn't make any sense. They'd been to the beach plenty of times; he knew Ryo could swim. Suddenly his body tightened, one word echoing in his mind.

_Rocks. _

He brushed Ryo's soaked hair out of his face and noticed that bits of it were stained dark. Sure enough, there was blood trickling from his scalp, similar to the blood that was trickling down Fubuki's arms, legs and face.

_He hit his head on a rock and drowned. And it's all my fault. _Fubuki felt sick. He couldn't think. But he had to think. Ryo's life was in danger. He had to do something, he had to something, but what? _What do I do first? Check his pulse, give him CPR, stop the bleeding? Do I just skip all that and go for help? _He quickly eliminated the last option. There was no one around, and it would take too long for him to run to the infirmary and back, so instead he decided to go with the first two.

He put his hand over Ryo's mouth and felt nothing. He put two fingers against his neck and wrist and got the same result. _No pulse…not breathing…he might be dead already…_Fubuki felt a wave of nausea, but suppressed it. Now was not the time to panic. He tilted Ryo's head up, opened his mouth and covered his lips with his own, breathed two quick breaths, and hit his chest hard. Nothing. Two more breaths, five more chest compressions along with screaming for help at the top his lungs while performing said chest compressions. Tears poured down his cheeks, mixing with the blood from the cut. Breathe, compressions, more screaming…how long was he supposed to keep doing this, and why wasn't it working?

_Oh please, don't let it be too late,_ he prayed, choking on sobs. "Come on, Ryo, breathe!" he screamed, pounding on his chest yet again. "Please! I'm sorry, it's all my fault! Please wake up!" He was shaking so badly that he could barely breathe into Ryo's mouth. "Please don't die, Ryo," he whispered. "Please." He hit his best friend's chest one more time and was about to give up hope when he heard a cough. He stopped, panting heavily. Another cough. Fubuki gasped. Ryo coughed again, spitting out water and moaning.

Fubuki placed two trembling fingers on Ryo's neck again and nearly collapsed out of relief when he felt a pulse. Ryo's body wracked with fits of painful coughs as he gasped for air. His eyes slowly opened so Fubuki could see slits of green. He didn't think he'd ever been so happy to see those eyes, or to finally see that chest rising and falling again. When Ryo stopped coughing and just lay there, breathing deep breaths, Fubuki threw his arms around him and hugged him as tightly as he could without hurting him.

"Ryo, I'm so, so sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please forgive me, I'm sorry…." He didn't think he could ever say it enough. Ryo lay limp in his arms for a moment, too exhausted to move, then put a hand on his head and moaned loudly. Fubuki looked in alarm and saw that it was still bleeding. He gently laid Ryo back down and struggled out his damp uniform, which was now sticking to his skin, and placed it under Ryo's head, wrapping the sleeves around his forehead to form a bandage.

"Don't worry, Ryo. I'll get you help, I promise," Fubuki said, his voice still shaking. It scared him how quickly the white coat was getting stained a dark red. Ryo closed his eyes and moaned again. Fubuki stood up nervously. _What should I do? I need to get help, but I'm afraid to leave him alone. _He finally decided to take the risk and sprinted up the path toward the infirmary, heart still beating out of his chest with fear. Within minutes he was sprinting back, with Ayukawa-sensei and her team of nurses behind him. Thankfully they'd already been heading that way; a student had heard him screaming for help and had gone to tell them about the situation.

Ryo had passed out by the time they got there. Fubuki took his uniform, now almost completely red and sickeningly wet and sticky, and stared at it hauntingly as Ryo was lifted onto a stretcher and carried away to the infirmary. Ayukawa-sensei gave Fubuki some antiseptic for his cuts and told him to go back to his dorm and rest, that they'd take it from there.

Fubuki would do as she said; he'd caused enough trouble already. But he knew there was no way in hell he'd rest peacefully tonight.

**I'm not certified in CPR and don't know anything about the medical field, so if I screwed up any of the details, or screw them up in later chapters, I am very sorry.**


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Ryo's eyes slowly fluttered opened and examined his surroundings curiously. This wasn't his dorm room; he didn't recognize it. Everything in this room was white, and there were complex, beeping machines around the bed he was in. He was wrapped up in warm, soft blankets, wearing a white gown, and his head itched and throbbed under a thick bandage.

"You're finally awake," a voice said. Ryo turned his head and saw a young woman with a gentle face standing on the other side of the bed and smiling at him. She looked familiar, but he wasn't sure why. Everything seemed hazy.

"Where?" he croaked, throat dry and sore. His head felt stuffed with cotton, and he didn't think he'd ever been this tired in his life.

"You're in the hospital; you've been asleep since we brought you in the day before yesterday. You were unconscious then, and we've had you on sedatives and painkillers since. How do you feel now?" she asked, her voice gentle.

Now he remembered. Ayukawa-sensei. Why couldn't he think straight? He closed his eyes and his head sunk further into the soft pillows. "My head feels really heavy," he mumbled.

"You had a serious concussion, but you'll be okay. You just need to rest. I can get you some medicine for your head, but if you take it, you'll have to eat something. Otherwise you'll be nauseous."

"Okay," Ryo nodded, noticing the emptiness in his stomach. Ayukawa-sensei left for a minute, and he shut his eyes tight and tried to remember what happened. In his mind, he saw the sun descending over the horizon as he stood by the lighthouse, then someone's hands on his back, then the water rushing up to meet him, then…nothing. Every time he tried to concentrate and remember what happened after hitting the water, his mind would go blank and his head throbbed painfully.

"Is this okay?" Ryo's eyes snapped open at hearing Ayukawa-sensei's voice. She approached him, carrying a bowl of what appeared to be soup with noodles. Ryo's stomach growled and he slowly propped himself up against the soft pillows and gratefully took the bowl from her. He swallowed the pills and sipped at his meal, letting it trickle slowly down his parched throat. Ayukawa-sensei fiddled around with his IVs, dripping fluids into them that sent cold snakes wiggling through Ryo's arms, and by the time he finished the soup, he could feel his eyelids getting heavy. He handed the bowl back to her, turned over so he was lying on his stomach–sleeping on his back felt so unnatural-and rested his aching head on the pillows. He closed his eyes and his muscles gradually relaxed as his fingers played with the hospital bracelet around his wrist for a minute, then gently curled in towards his palms. His breathing evened out and slowed as he was enveloped in a peaceful, comforting sleep.

Fubuki's eyes never left Ryo's shoulders as they slowly rose and fell with each soft breath he took. He knew Ryo must have finally woken up at some point because he was sleeping on his stomach, and he'd been surrounded by so many pillows, blankets, and IVs that there was no way he could have successfully turned over without conscious effort. He hated that he hadn't been there to see it. But for now, his mind was still trying to catch up with everything that had happened.

This was really happening. He'd actually put Ryo in the hospital. Unintentionally, yes, but it was still his fault. The bandage on his head and Fubuki's cuts (which had mostly healed but were still visible) proved it. Ayukawa-sensei had told him over and over that Ryo would be okay, that he just needed rest and a little bit of medicine, but a part of Fubuki just couldn't believe it; it still felt like Ryo could die at any moment, like he should still be trying to revive him and bring him back to life. It just didn't seem real.

_It wasn't supposed to happen like this. It was just a harmless prank. I never meant to hurt him._

Fubuki sighed a long, shuddering sigh and gently stroked Ryo's hair, careful of the bandage. He looked so peaceful, sleeping like a baby. It was the only time Fubuki could remember when Ryo's eyebrows were relaxed, when he didn't have that trademark glare plastered onto his face. He felt tears threaten his eyes again. _He must be furious with me, _he thought. _He must hate me. _He rubbed his eyes hard and sniffed.

"I'm so sorry, Ryo," he whispered. He shut his eyes tight, tears spilling out of them. _How could I have been so stupid? He was standing right next to a freaking lighthouse! I should have known there'd be rocks; that's why they build those things in the first place. _

"Fubuki?" a voice whispered softly. Fubuki opened his watery eyes and blinked to clear his vision. Ryo was staring up at him curiously.

"Hey," Fubuki whispered back, his throat tight.

"What's wrong?" Ryo asked, puzzled. He turned over onto his back so he could look his friend in the eyes.

"I'm really sorry," he said, choking back on a sob.

"About what?" Ryo blinked in confusion. Fubuki sniffed and pushed his hair back. "I'm okay, Fubuki. Honest. Ayukawa-sensei said I'll be fine, and my head doesn't even hurt as much anymore." Fubuki's shoulders shook, and Ryo started to feel uneasy. "Don't cry, Bucky. I told you, I'm gonna be fine. Don't worry."

"But…I…you…" Fubuki's nonstop tears were rendering him speechless. He grabbed Ryo's hand and squeezed it tight. For some reason the touch felt familiar…suddenly Ryo gasped as a memory washed over him like a tidal wave. _Fubuki was holding him, crying and saying…something, Ryo wasn't sure what. He'd had him wrapped up in a tight embrace, rocking him back and forth. He was shaking and his clothes and hair were soaking wet. _

"Fubuki!" Ryo cried. Fubuki looked up, eyes wide. "I remember now…you saved me." The only response was another sob. Ryo slowly pushed himself to a sitting position, wincing as his head pounded at the motion, and gently put an arm around his friend. "Thank you."

"It was the least I could do," Fubuki whispered, staring at the ground.

"I mean it. I owe you my life."

"Please don't say that, Ryo."

"But it's true. If you hadn't come along, I wouldn't be here."

"Ain't that the truth," Fubuki muttered.

"By the way, did you happen to see who pushed me in? Just curious."

Fubuki's head jerked up. "What did you say?"

"I remember I was standing by the lighthouse and someone pushed me into the water. Then I blacked out and you saved me. I was wondered if you saw the person who pushed me in. You must have been close by or you wouldn't have known I was in danger."

Fubuki stared at the ground, unable to look Ryo in the eyes. "I'm…sure that whoever it was feels really bad about it, Ryo."

"Well, I'm sure they didn't push me in with the intention of drowning me. I doubt anyone dislikes me that much. Still, I wish I knew." After a slight pause, he continued. "Samejima came by earlier. He told Ayukawa-sensei that if he ever caught the person who pushed me in, he'd expel them in a heart beat."

Fubuki made a small noise in his throat and his face crumpled. Ryo looked at him strangely. "Fubuki, what's wrong? I know you were scared for a little while, but it's not like you to get this worked up."

"I just…I mean….I gotta go." Fubuki bolted out the door before Ryo could protest, leaving him alone again in the eerily quiet hospital. He laid back and massaged his temples where a headache was beginning to form. He'd have to find out what Fubuki was so upset about. It had to be something other than his head injury, that he was sure of. Ryo had been in the hospital with pneumonia once, and Fubuki had stayed by his side almost the entire week, "entertaining" Ryo with songs played on his ukulele and stories of his latest date. No, Fubuki was never the type to worry over something as trivial as illness. So it had to be something else.

Closing his eyes again, Ryo let his mind wander freely until he began to drift in and out of sleep, his thoughts going a million different directions. _Fubuki…lighthouse…crying…headaches…water…laughing… _

By the time his eyes jolted open in surprise the next morning, he'd remembered everything.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

It was useless to avoid the lighthouse, Fubuki soon found out. His dorm was too crowded by noisy, rowdy boys who he normally enjoyed being around but lately had been avoiding. This was the only quiet place for him to think.

And boy, did it make him think.

Ryo had been released from the hospital two days ago, and Fubuki hadn't spoken to him since. Which hadn't been particularly hard, since Ryo had spent nearly all of that time either napping or struggling to catch up on all the schoolwork he'd missed. Still, Fubuki knew he would have to tell Ryo eventually. Ryo was one of those people you just didn't lie to, and even if he had been, Fubuki was one of those unlucky people who couldn't tell a lie without giggling or looking away or doing something that would make it obvious he was lying.

He sighed, staring at his reflection in the water. It was funny how he'd always thought of the ocean as a friendly, playful thing that could provide the greatest thrills imaginable. Now it just seemed scary, like a cold, bottomless hole. The lighthouse seemed indifferent and uncaring as it loomed over him silently.

Fubuki shivered against the cool ocean breeze. It was getting dark and he knew he'd have to go back to the dorm and see Ryo. With any luck, maybe Ryo would be asleep when he got there. He turned to leave when he felt a pair of warm, strong arms gently wrap around him and pull him close. Fubuki tried to pull away out of reflex, but the arms held him tight. He felt a weight on his shoulder and someone's hair brushed against his face.

"It's okay," a familiar voice whispered, tickling his ear. "I'm not mad."

"Ryo?" Fubuki's heart thumped. "Not mad about what?" he asked cautiously.

"You started laughing before I hit the water. And those hands on my back were warm, just like yours always are," he murmured, reaching for Fubuki's hands, which were trembling slightly.

"I…" _Tell him_, his conscience screamed. _Just tell him already and get it over with! He obviously knows already anyway. _He took a deep breath and shut his eyes.

"-"

"Okay, okay!" Ryo cut him off, smiling to himself. "You can stop now. I forgive you. Actually, I forgave you two days ago. Now breathe," he commanded.

Fubuki exhaled and squeezed Ryo's hand. "But aren't you mad? I mean, what if…?" he couldn't finish his sentence, instead staring at the waves that crashed against the dock.

"You said it yourself, you never meant to hurt me. If I hadn't hit that rock, it would have been a harmless prank. It was just bad luck that I did. And if you hadn't gone in after me, I wouldn't be here right now." Fubuki didn't look up. Ryo closed his eyes and continued in a whisper. "Ayukawa-Sensei told me that you performed CPR for almost five minutes straight. Five minutes. That's a long time, Fubuki. She told me most people give up after two. But you didn't. And I'm really grateful."

It was the gentlest voice Fubuki had ever heard from Ryo, along with an unusual display of affection. For the first time in a week, he smiled. "Thanks, Ryo. You're the best."

"I know." They both smirked and Ryo moved away so he was facing Fubuki. "By the way, I talked to Samejima and he's agreed to give you the incredibly cruel punishment of giving you a stern lecture on water safety while wagging his finger at you in a disapproving manner. That'll teach you."

"No! Anything but that!" Fubuki joked. They both stood there a moment, smiling at each other as the sun began to set. Finally Ryo spoke.

"Can I…can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Fubuki grinned, his charm returning.

"What did it feel like…giving me mouth to mouth?" Ryo asked, then looked down and blushed. "I'm sorry, forget you heard that."

"No, no, it's okay." He moved closer to Ryo and brushed a few strands of blue hair away from his face. "But I tend to like showing more than telling, so I'd be happy to give you a demonstration." He winked and Ryo blushed harder, trying not to smile.

A moment later, Ryo knew exactly what mouth to mouth felt like and he quickly decided he liked the feeling. The sun dipped behind the ocean, which playfully slapped the sides of the dock. The lighthouse, a silent, smiling witness to their affections, beamed a ray of light across the dark sky.


End file.
